Did anybody ever did some serious bridge training ?

[bluecalm]

Or just every pro is just playing and getting there on sheer talent and playing volume alone ?

From what I talked to some good polish players most of them just played and got really good. One of the best polish players ever said that when he was young he "drunk vodka and played cards in the dorm".

I've never heard about people really doing any training. I mean regular sessions with focus on specific things, preferably directed by a trainer. Something like you see in any other sport and/or intellectual activity (Koren pro-gamers for example train ridiculous amount of hours almost every day).

 

I was playing chess as a junior and it was common among my peers to train quite a lot and it was impossible to win anything without a lot of training. In bridge I am yet to see someone who would say "I trained really hard this season, hope it will pay off".

 

Do you know anything about pro's routines ? Or maybe some thoughts from your own experience ?

[Trumpace]

The Dallas Aces?

[JLOGIC]

No

[Free]

I believe the Dutch team has (or had) regular training sessions.

[gnasher]

England has in the past held regular training weekends for the junior and women's squads. When I was a junior they were run by people like David Burn, Andrew Robson and Raymond Brock, each weekend focussing on a particular topic. I found them very useful.

 

I think they experimented with doing the same for the open squad, but it wasn't a success.

 

Several of England's top pairs employ coaches, mainly to help them to work on their system - sometimes an outsider's eye can be helpful. The EBU sometimes provides funding for this.

Edited April 29, 2011 by gnasher

[TWO4BRIDGE]

I believe the Dutch team has (or had) regular training sessions.

Awhile back I heard in the Netherlands that bridge was "taught" in high schools ( or even in Jr High ) ..... perhaps as an elective or part of the recreational program... I'm not sure. and I'm not sure if they still do.

[han]

Yeah the Dutch team has regular training sessions, organized by Anton Maas. There are similar things for the junior, youth and women teams.

[jdeegan]

The Dallas Aces had a trainer, an ex-army officer named Joe Musemici (sic). They actually did some physical training - O.K. everyone, let's visualize Bob Hamman and Wolffie jogging. They played thousands of hands at Ira Corn's house - against one another and sometimes against outside competition. After each session they analyzed the hands and assigned charges for mistakes. The elder Jacoby was sometimes around to settle some arguements. It seemed to work thanks largely to the rather forceful personalities of Ira and Joe.

[Quantumcat]

OzOne is a team with a trainer funded by a generous millionare, in an attempt to make Australia be competitive on a world level. I think they were trying to copy the idea of the Aces. Can't say it's worked yet.

[Fluffy]

Some teams get proffesional trainers, I am not sure who deos that nowadays, but Martens used to do it. Also I think Kaplan did and probably many more.

 

But extensive training... well, most people just play, and partnerships play together. My father has hundreds of sets of hands that he used to use to train with his partner on specifical sequences. But card play focused training is harded to achieve.

[Rossoneri]

OzOne is a team with a trainer funded by a generous millionare, in an attempt to make Australia be competitive on a world level. I think they were trying to copy the idea of the Aces. Can't say it's worked yet.

 

I had an impression that OzOne was disbanded. Am I wrong and they are still around?